Lotus Confirms Plans for an SUV

Group Lotus plc confirms reports it is developing its first SUV/crossover. CEO Jean-Marc Gales tells Automotive News Europe the vehicle will be produced in China and introduced in 2019.

Gales says the British sports car maker will build a prototype over the next 12 months. The vehicle will be assembled by China's Goldstar Heavy Industrial in Fujian through its venture with Lotus' owner, Malaysia-based DRB-Hicom Group.

Gales describes the new model as a compact, lightweight vehicle with the performance of a sports car. He indicates the crossover will likely be propelled by a hybrid powertrain and priced at roughly $48,000.

Lotus sold about 2,000 sports cars in the fiscal year ended March 31. Gales aims to deliver more than 5,000 SUVs annually. Coupled with the introduction of new car models, Lotus sales could reach 10,000 by the end of the decade, he says.

China is likely to become the world's largest SUV/crossover market by 2020, Gales notes. He tells ANE the Lotus SUV will be exported to several markets outside the country. But he isn't sure if the model will be homologated to sell in the U.S.